قراءة كتاب Food for the Mind Or, A New Riddle-book
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اللغة: English
الصفحة رقم: 5
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Tho' light my body is and small,
Tho' I have wings to fly withal,
And thro' the air may rove;
Yet was I not by nature press'd
In ease and indolence I'd rest;
And never choose to move.
'Tis beating makes me diligent;
When beat and on an errand sent,
I hurry to and fro;
And like an idle boy in school,
Whom nothing but the rod can rule,
Improve at every blow.
With a badge on my back,
Of red, orange, and black,
I travel the nation all over,
And however abus'd,
Without violence us'd,
Will never my bus'ness discover;
I'm of service to state,
To the poor and the great,
To the tradesman, mechanic and beau;
Some of whom I attend
Ev'ry day as a friend,
But to others bring sorrow and woe:
All kindly receive me,
And you may believe me,
Scarce ever refuse me my pay;
For whoever does this,
Take it well or amiss,
With him not a moment I stay.
It foams without anger,
It flies without wings,
It cuts without edge,
And without tongue it sings.
In spring I look gay,
Deck'd in comely array,
In summer more cloathing I wear:
When colder it grows,
I fling off my cloaths,
And in winter quite naked appear.
Midst numbers round I spy'd a beauty fair,
More charming than her circling sisters were:
With blushing cheek she tempting of me stood,
At last I cropt her bloom and suck'd her blood;
Sweet meat she was, but neither flesh nor bone,
Yet in her tender heart she had a stone.
1.
I'm captain of a party small,
Whose number is but five;
But yet do great exploits, for all,
And ev'ry man alive.
2.
With Adam I was seen to live,
Ere he knew what was evil;
But no connexion have with Eve,
The serpent or the devil.
3.
I on our Saviour's Laws attend,
And fly deceit and vice;
Patriot and Protestant befriend,
But Infidels despise.
4.
Matthew and Mark both me have got;
But to prevent vexation,
St. Luke and John possess me not,
Tho' found in ev'ry nation.
My form is aukward, let me tell ye,
Long my legs and large my belly,
Webb'd my feet and short my waist,
My head with orb of glory grac'd;
My neck indented makes the show
Of breast protuberant below;
And what your wonder more commands
I use my feet instead of hands;
Tho' such my shape, my station's warm,
And many I preserve from harm;
So that the belles oft me caress,
And beaux sometimes my aid confess:
Hence learn that all things have their use,
